Residents are up in arms after local officials revealed new dog-related laws would come into force on July 3 on Australia’s Sunshine Coast, including limitations on the movement of dogs on various beaches and public parks.

Sunshine Coast Council said the new rules were aimed at protecting wildlife and sensitive areas, improving public safety and managing the use of common places as the region’s dog population develops. 

The new rules include mandating dog owners to keep their animals on leashes at a number of beaches and coastal regions, prohibiting dogs from some nature reserves and high-value ecological areas, and seasonal limitations in particular places to protect vulnerable migrating birds. 

The council also revealed plans to construct 22 additional dog-free zones within the next several years, where canines can run about freely in specific places. 

But other neighbors are unhappy with the new rules, saying they would interfere with dog owners’ everyday activities, especially older people who rely on walking their dogs for social and health reasons. 

Under the new restrictions, offenders may be fined AU$863 for not having dogs on-leash in approved places, while the cost for transporting dogs into restricted areas, or not carrying waste bags, is AU$345. 

To help dog owners comply with the new laws, the Sunshine Coast Council has created an interactive online map, so dog owners may check the exact rules of each beach or park before visiting.